Thank you Peter.
I'm wholly prepared to live right by the flying school if there are accommodation facilities. The only reason I specified that location restriction (~2hrs from London) is to enable me to commute to meet a couple of friends there during any available spare time. I suspect that my objective(s) still fall within the boundaries of reality and I am resolutely determined to achieve them, insofar as an organisation/school is able to support me in this process.
Unfortunately I have no instrument experience, so I will certainly take you up on your recommendation. On that note:
(i) Given that I use a Macbook, would you be able to recommend any native simulator applications?
(ii) I have been searching extensively for guides on interpreting approach plates but have yet to identify a sufficiently thorough and credible resource. Are there any that you would recommend?
Any further guidance is most appreciated.